Imran Khan, a former prime minister of Pakistan, was arrested on Tuesday in Islamabad, according to his party and regional media.
The 70-year-old politician was detained by National Accountability Bureau agents on the court’s grounds, according to Fawad Chaudhry, a senior leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. Khan, according to Mr. Chaudhry, was pulled from the court and put into a police car and remains in their custody
He was reportedly detained in connection with a corruption inquiry concerning a piece of property. Khan claims the charges are politically motivated and that the powerful national army wants to get him out of the way.
The arrest came shortly after Khan reiterated prior claims that Shehbaz Sharif, the current prime minister of Pakistan, and a top military commander were responsible for the plot to kill him last November.
Khan, who is still immensely well-liked in Pakistan, was removed from office in April 2022 following a vote of no-confidence by opposition parliamentarians who accused him of corruption and violating the constitution. The nation’s Supreme Court supported the allegations.
In order to get Khan released, the PTI and Khan’s followers took to the streets in protests. At least one person has been killed in the city of Quetta in the nation-wide violent demonstrations. In an attempt to bring the unrest under control, Pakistan’s government has suspended the Internet and social media nationwide. The Pakistan Telecommunications Authority, on the recommendation of the Interior Ministry, has blocked Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and WhatsApp.
